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HHS issues action plan to prevent health care-associated infections
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The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a multitiered action plan to reduce, prevent and possibly eliminate health care-associated infections.
According to background information in the plan, health care-associated infections (HAIs) are among the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for 99,000 deaths in 2002 and annual excess costs of $28 billion to $32 billion.
“The good news is that many of these deaths can be prevented through increased awareness and implementation of recommended infection control practices. For these reasons, the prevention of HAIs is a top priority for the [HHS],” the plan’s authors wrote.
Five government agencies, including the CDC and CMS, joined to draft the plan. They identified ways to measure HAIs and set 5-year prevention targets for each type; created a schedule for ongoing research on HAIs; suggested ways to standardize and track HAI data; studied the regulatory and administrative authorities currently combating HAIs; and created a campaign to publicize the plan on a national level.
The plan’s first tier addresses surgical site infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia and catheter-associated urinary tract infections, which together account for 75% of HAIs in acute care hospitals. Two organism-specific HAIs are also included: Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
In the future, the plan will address additional HAIs in different types of health care settings, including ambulatory care, long-term care and nursing homes.
In accordance with the action plan, the CDC recently released its first state-specific report on central line-associated blood stream infections. Using data submitted by hospitals via the National Healthcare Safety Network, the CDC observed an 18% national decrease in central line-associated blood stream infections during the first 6 months since the issuance of the action plan, compared with the 3 years prior.
The full plan can be found online at www.hhs.gov/ophs/initiatives/hai/ infection.html.